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HISTORY.DOC
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1992-08-13
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REVISION HISTORY
V1.20
This release contains new versions of CAPTURE and WATCHCD. The
older versions will not work with this (and future) release of
X00.
Anyone attempting to share a single IRQ on multiple comm ports
should read SHARE.IRQ
Extensive changes to improve multiasking performance.
Many changes have been made to allow shared IRQs with
mulitaskers. Eight RBBSs all sharing IRQ 3 using DESQview has
been successfully tested with this version of X00. The 8 port
RBBS system was set up and tested by Dan Fox at:
Defence Logistics Services Center
74 North Washington
Battle Creek, Mi. 49021
Through a coding error, when the transmit buffer size being
specified, a random memory location was being changed. This
error has been corrected.
The NASTY option is now nastier. Remember, the NASTY option will
cause some systems to hang (and some to work).
Status structure returned by function 1BH (27) now returns the
actual transmit and receive buffer size. Previously the default
buffer size was returned.
Code was streamlined for faster execution.
1.20a
This is not a beta, in retrospect possibly 1.20 should have been
a beta. V1.20 introduced code that can cause X00 to interfere
with other communication programs. This problems shows itself
when an application program exits and leaves the FOSSIL active on
a given port. If another program uses the comm port that was
left active, X00 will interfere with the program. Most
noticeably, it will miss received characters. One way this
problem could come up is using Binkley with SHARE in the command
line. There appears to be several programs out there that leave
the FOSSIL hot when they exit. Application programmers should
always disable any ports they may have activated when they exit
or implement the equivalent of the Binkley SHARE option which is
the correct way to exit with the FOSSIL still active.
The default buffer size has been changed from 4k to 1k. I really
don't think buffers as large as 4k are necessary on most systems.
However, you can set them back to 4k by using the R and T option
in the DEVICE = command line.
This version corrects a problem that made some Trailblazers
practically unusable. Additionally, users of other modems that
use RTS/CTS handshaking will see improved performance.
A problem with mapping ports was corrected.
Added the quick and dirty C HLLAPI routines to the distribution
file. See CHLLAPI.DOC in the CHLLAPI.ARC archive.
I did not add it to the semi-formal command line documentation
above. However, a new command line option has been added. This
command allows the user to specify the transmit FIFO size that
X00 is to use when a 16550 is installed. The command line option
is F{IFO}=n where n is 1 to 16. The default transmit FIFO size
is 8. For reasons I do not understand, some systems have
problems if the FIFO size is set to the maximum of 16. However,
15 seems to work on all tested systems. The F=n statement will
be ignored if a 16550 is not installed. Through a programming
error, X00 previously has never used more than one byte of the
16550 transmit FIFO. Users with 16550s installed will probably
see increased transmit speeds with this version of X00. Setting
the transmit FIFO to a value larger than the default value of 8
may yield marginally better transmit speeds. However, setting it
to the maximum of 16 may cause some connections and/or programs
to miss characters.
1.20b
Version 1.20a lasted only about 4 hours. I apologize. The
correction of the port assignment problem in V1.20a caused
another problem when only one comm port was used and that port
was not COM1. That problem is corrected (with a single
instruction) in this version. Again, I apologize.
1.20b, second release
No changes in X00.SYS itself from 1.20b's initial release.
Included more HLLAPIs in the distribution file (Turbo Pascal and
Quick Basic). Cleaned up the documentation. Changed
distribution file from ARC to ZIP (V1.01) format. Changed the
X00 license to a modified version of the BinkleyTerm License.
1.20c
Corrected a problem in processing IRQs 8 through 15. The FOSSIL
boot function and BOOT.COM will now boot under DesqView 386. My
thanks to Don Carroll of Quarterdeck for checking out the use of
IRQs 8 through 15 with BinlkeyTerm. HLLAPIs for C, Turbo Pascal
and Quick Basic are now included in the distribution file.
1.22
Added hooks that allow the line monitoring Break Out Box (BOB) to
do its thing. No real documentation is available for BOB yet.
If you can figure out how to use it, have fun.
Added additional code to the booting code to insure booting under
DesqView. BOOT.COM received the same additional code.
Added DesqView Pause functions at strategically selected places.
This should cause systems operating under DesqView to operate
better. Use the DV option flag to enable the DesqView calls.
Users of the DEFER option should note that a lone D no longer
specifies the DEFER option. With the addition of the DV option,
DE must be specified to enable the DEFER option.
Rearranged memory to make it easier for X00 to be loaded into
high memory using utilities like LOADHI.SYS from Quarterdeck.
Using the STACKS command in CONFIG.SYS to specify a DOS stack
smaller than the DOS default may cause a problem with this
version of X00. If you have problems, try removing the STACKS
command from the CONFIG.SYS file.
Corrected a problem in function 1BH (27). IBUFR - IFREE will now
yield (always) the number of bytes in the receive buffer.
I wish to thank John Bierrie for testing the BIOS emulator, a
major addition of this version described below.
A BIOS emulator for INT 14h was added. This BIOS emulator will
allow many programs that are not FOSSIL aware, such as BBS DOORS
programs, to operate. The addition of this feature also changes
the way that X00 passes on INT 14h calls for serial I/O ports
that are not currently active (FOSSIL active).
In previous versions of X00, all INT 14h calls to inactive ports
were passed on to BIOS's INT 14h routine. If you wish X00 to
continue to operate as it has with previous versions, add USEBIOS
to the DEVICE=X00.SYS command line.
USEBIOS is sort of a halfway CAPTURE OFF. Most users will NOT
want to use this directive. If USEBIOS is in effect and X00 can
not figure out what to do with an INT 14h call, the call will be
passed on to BIOS. If USEBIOS is specified, many DOORS programs
will have problems (especially under DESQview).
Unless overridden with the USEBIOS directive or XU CAPTURE:OFF,
this version o